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Workforce
Workforce
The Health Service People Strategy
The health service has a workforce of over 105,000 whole-time equivalents who deliver care across the
country, 365 days a year. The People Strategy 2015–2018 was developed in recognition of the vital role
our workforce plays in delivering safer better healthcare. It is a strategy that extends to the entire health
sector workforce and managers at all levels. The strategy is underpinned by a commitment to engage,
develop, value and support our workforce. In 2017 we will:
• Implement actions from the People Strategy 2015–2018
• Undertake the annual staff survey and develop and implement staff engagement and staff health and
wellbeing programmes in response to what staff have told us
• Implement the health service Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Action Plan
• Advance the health service Leadership Academy
• Implement an Integrated Workforce Planning Framework to support and enable the recruitment and
retention of the right mix of staff
• Implement a revised Performance Achievement System
• Monitor the implementation of the Pay and Numbers Strategy 2017
• Ensure greater connectivity with service delivery units and partners across the health service through
implementation of the HR Operating Model
• Develop streamlined HR data gathering, reporting processes and systems to meet the requirements of
the Performance and Accountability Framework and assist in service reform.
Pay and Numbers Strategy 2017 and funded workforce plans
The Pay and Numbers Strategy 2017 is a continuation of the strategy that was approved in July 2016,
central to which is compliance with allocated pay expenditure budgets. Overall pay expenditure, which is
made up of direct employment costs, overtime and agency will continue to be monitored, managed and
controlled. This will ensure compliance with allocated pay budgets as set out in annual funded workforce
plans at divisional and service delivery unit level that are required to:
• Take account of any first charges in pay overruns that may arise from 2016
• Operate strictly within allocated pay frameworks, while ensuring that services are maintained to the
maximum extent and that service priorities determined by Government are progressed
• Comply strictly with public sector pay policy and public sector appointments
• Identify further opportunities for pay savings to allow for re-investment purposes in the health sector
workforce and to address any unfunded pay cost pressures.
Pay and staff monitoring, management and control at all levels will be an area of significant focus in 2017 in
line with the Performance and Accountability Framework. Early intervention and effective plans to address
any deviation from the approved funded workforce plans will be central to maximising full pay budget
adherence at the end of 2017.
National Service Plan 2017 13